Reuters: The Vatican underlined its opposition to gay adoption on Sunday as same-sex marriage supporters staged a topless protest in front of the pope in St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano published a response to an Italian court’s rejection of an appeal by a father who feared his son would not have a balanced upbringing if he lived with his mother and her female partner.

The Court of Cassation ruled it was “mere prejudice” to assume that living with a homosexual couple could be detrimental for a child’s development.

While gay rights group Arcigay called it a “historic ruling” for Italy, where it is illegal for gay couples to adopt, Catholic leaders were quick to defend the traditional family unit. Keep reading…